Morocco’s Cabinet approves a new law allowing the use of HM’s portraits and Morocco’s national anthem in electoral campaigns 2021
Morocco’s Cabinet has recently approved the draft Law No. 10.21 stipulating the adjustment and completion of Law No. 11.57 related to public electoral regulations and referendum procedures, including the use of public audio-visual means during electoral and referendum campaigns.
The draft law omitted all provisions prohibiting the use of Morocco’s national symbols in electoral campaigns, for both Morocco’s national anthem and His Majesty’s official portrait can be used accordingly.
This law, which was submitted by Morocco’s Minister of Interior, tends to specify the deadlines for submitting new registration applications, as well as receiving requests within the general electoral lists, setting up administrative committees’ meetings, depositing amendment schedules, notifying those concerned with the committees’ decisions, and finalizing the general electoral lists.
The draft law includes provisions that encourage citizens holding the new electronic ID, especially the youth, to register within general electoral lists.
Furthermore, the draft law proposes new provisions meant to activate the support fund in order to promote women’s representation in areas related to regional elections, as well as the professional chambers’ elections, as stipulated in Article 288 of the General Law No. 97-9 related to the Elections Code.
On the other hand, the parliament approved the draft Law No. 11.21 stipulating the adjustment and completion of Law No. 9.97 related to the electoral code, as well as reviewing the electoral regulations within professional chambers.
The draft law also proposes a special mechanism meant to ensure women’s representation in several chambers, including agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, services, handicrafts, and fishing, taking into account the specificity of the voting pattern adopted to elect the members of these chambers.
In addition, the draft law stipulates specifying the deadlines for reviewing the electoral regulations within professional chambers, as well as the dates for compiling the final electoral lists within professional chambers upon review by decree.
